2 arrested, 6 gambling machines seized in raid

May 6, 2012

HONOLULU (AP) - Two people were arrested and six gambling machines seized during a raid of a building police have raided at least twice previously, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Saturday.

The raid around 7 p.m. Friday on King Street in the city's Chinatown was prompted by community complaints of gambling and drug dealing on the property, Honolulu police Sgt. Thomas Santos said.

The two people arrested were taken into custody on outstanding warrants. Their names were not released. Six other people in the building at the time were questioned and released.

The gambling machines seized were so-called fruit machines, which are similar to slot machines, police said.

The property was previously raided Sept. 15, 2010, and Dec. 6, 2011.

During the December raid, four people were arrested, and officers found a number of electronic gaming machines, police said.

In the 2010 raid, officers responding to reports of gunfire and a robbery didn't find any evidence of a robbery but seized about a dozen illegal video gaming machines.

An official with the state's attorney general's office accompanied officers Friday night, issuing a nuisance abatement warning to the property owner. The warning could lead to the state eventually condemning the property, officials said.

The windows of the building are covered by brown paper, and there are no identifying signs on the structure, though there are signs advertising the building as available for rent.